Sunday morning coming down

I’ve just about exhausted my knowledge of popular music in this series. This morning I would like to turn to the the weekly John Pizzarelli/Jessica Molaskey syndicated radio show that they call Radio Deluxe to deliver the goods. I usually catch it on Saturday afternoons at 5:00 on the KBEM in the Twin Cities. I love the show. Having missed most of yesterday’s show I went looking for it online and found the show posted here on the Radio Deluxe home page along with their program notes for the show. I would like to introduce you to the show if you are unfamiliar with it. Yesterday’s show featured Joni Mitchell, in honor of her seventy-fifth birthday. It isn’t representative in that respect.

Past shows are archived along with program notes here. The September 22 show is accessible here with its program notes. Jessica was missing in action but here we have, as usual, one perfect song after another and (not as usual) John playing live in the studio. I’ve embedded it below to leave you no excuse for not giving it a try.

The show is an unalloyed pleasure. John and Jessica bring their own professional experience and appreciation to bear introducing mostly great and always interesting songs. On a recent show — it’s the one I went looking for, but I can’t find it — they played a version of the song “Small World” from the musical Gypsy. Written by Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne, the song is perfect in its own way and sadly overlooked. The version below is by Melissa Errico.